Colby Covington sat down with for an interview ahead of his freestyle wrestling match against Dillon Danis at RAF 07, March 28th in Tampa, and left no question about where he stands on his opponent.
When asked whether the match would actually take place, Covington was direct:
“Yeah, I think it’ll happen, man. He’s a strong guy. He’s got the strength of 10 men. ”
” That’s someone that’s not to be underestimated and not to be disrespected. I respect Dillon. It’s going to be a great match. He’s a tough guy. He has a lot of combat knowledge, former champion. I’m excited to get out there on those RAF mats again.”
Asked whether Danis surprised him by accepting the challenge given his jiu jitsu background:
“No, not really. He wrestled in high school and he’s been wrestling a long time. He knows what it takes to be an elite wrestler. He’s refined his skills through the years in wrestling and jiu jitsu. That’s why Conor McGregor enlisted him in his camp, to help him out with the wrestling, grappling, and jiu jitsu as a whole. It’s going to be an exciting match.”
On whether the contest will be one sided or competitive:
“I’m going to have to earn it the hard way, the old fashioned way. I anticipate a really tough challenge from Dillon Danis.”
On fan reactions and what Danis brings to combat sports:
“I’ve been seeing a lot of support out there, but people just love to tune in to see matches like this. He’s an entertainer, man. Whether you love him or hate him, you’re tuning in because you either want to see him lose or you want to see him win. He does good things for the sport of MMA, the sport of wrestling, and combat sports in general. He’s an exciting guy. There’s not a lot of characters in the UFC right now that can electrify a crowd at a press conference and get people fired up to want to see him step on that mat. I love everything Dillon Danis is doing. Conor McGregor loved it too, because he used him as a coach. We need guys like that. We need good guys. We need bad guys. March 28th in Tampa, it’s going to be an electric night.”
On preparing for all possible scenarios:
“I always prepare myself for worst case scenario. I’m the ultimate professional guy. I love RAF and everything they’ve done for me, but I can’t control other people’s emotions or what he’ll do. I think Dillon has learned his lessons from the past. He’s a more professional guy these days. But I always stay ready.”
His closing message directly to Danis:
“Dillon, show up. Let’s show up, my brother. Let’s get this cash. Let’s do right for the fans. Let’s give these fans an exciting show. Let’s go viral. That’s what you love to do. Let’s give the fans what they want. The fans aren’t getting what they want in the combat sports world. So here they are, to be saved by Colby Covington and Dillon Danis. I’ll see you soon, boy.”
